Review of The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When he wakes up in a small box the only thing he can remember is his
name - Thomas. When the doors of the box open Thomas finds himself
surrounded by a lot of curious boys in the Glade, a giant square
encampment where they all live which is enclosed in a giant maze.Thomas has a
strange feeling of being there before and before he is told what it is
he decides he wants to become a Runner, one of the boys who try to
discover a way out of the Maze or a pattern in the Maze, as the Maze
shifts and changes. Being a Runner isn't as simple as it sounds though,
as there are the deadly Grievers - part monster, part machine creatures
that lurk in the Maze. Will Thomas ever find a way home, if home even
exists?

I picked
this book up not knowing quite what to expect, all I knew of it was that
a boy with no memory finds himself in a maze. What I wasn't expecting
was a story quite as amazing as this one. Everything is vividly
described, from the camp to the Grievers themselves, I found myself
almost believing I was there. Thomas is a brilliant character to follow
as he tries to remember why he feels like he's been there before. The
Grievers, quite frankly, sound utterly disgusting and terrifying,
naturally there's a lot of action and oh-my-god moments in this. It's
not a pretty storyline at times, I'd recommend a readers aged fifteen
plus read this but not lower. Younger reader's wouldn't understand it.
An amazing, thought provoking storyline that fans of books such as Louis
Sachar's Holes or Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games will enjoy.